Seat Mii review

If you think you’ve seen the Seat Mii somewhere before, don’t be too alarmed.

And if you haven’t, the sight of this compact three-door city car (it is also available in five-door form too), or one or two suspiciously similar-looking vehicles, is becoming an increasingly common one.

Seat has a long track record of building small cars shared with other marques

The Mii, if you haven’t heard, is Seat’s version of the Volkswagen Up, which is also available as the Skoda Citigo. And separating the three at a glance isn’t exactly easy. All three have the same dimensions, the same engine options and the same mechanical configurations.

The distinguishing features only become apparent under detailed examination, as all have their own front-end designs, chiefly taking in the grille and headlamps, while the Up also has a neatly distinctive upswept rear window line.

The mid-range FR-Line trimmed cars are adorned with 16in alloy wheels, front foglights, sports suspension and numerous FR details, while the special edition Mii designed by popular woman's magazine Cosmopolitan gives the small Seat a more fashionable look. There is the choice between Violetto or white for the outside and inside, black alloys and wing mirrors, and special Cosmo decals across the interior.

One option we’d definitely consider is the City Safety Assist function, which automatically brakes the car if it senses an impending collision. The Convenience pack is also worth noting, as it makes longer journeys more comfortable by adding cruise control, a trip computer and rear parking sensors.

Seat's Mii is offered with two 1.0-litre petrol engines, with either 59bhp or 74bhp. Both produce 70lb ft of torque and are linked to a five-speed manual gearbox.

The 999cc three-cylinder engine is amazingly capable, both in its natural town habitat and on the motorway. At low revs it is remarkably refined, and at worst it only rises to an appealing three-pot thrum that seems to somehow enhance the experience rather than intrude.

While the high-power model's 0-62mph in 12.7sec won’t wow anyone, it’ll cruise up to three-figure speeds given enough space. The low-power version is around a second slower to 62mph, but you'll barely notice. We found the base version to be largely impressive in just about every situation, even if the ride seemed to become especially choppy on UK roads.

All this is delivered in a cabin that is notable for being functional, fuss-free and, in places, even characterful. The flashes of polished plastics and interior colour lift the interior above the level of most rivals, if not up to the standard of the Fiat 500.

The portable TomTom sat-nav and media system is a worthy addition, acting as both a trip computer and map-reading guide.

Despite the Mii’s basic, small dimensions, there’s also room for four, provided the back seat passengers are small or not going far. Boot space is 251 litres, which should take a weekly shop, and opens up by another 700 litres with the rear seats down to give a 951-litre load space.

If your heart is set on one of the three branded versions of this car, then it’s more likely that personal badge preference and the proximity of a dealer is going to sway you than the small price differential. That said, the VW Up has better predicted residual prices.